


Coping Mechanisms

by waddiwasiwitch



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, mentions of Royai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waddiwasiwitch/pseuds/waddiwasiwitch
Summary: In the aftermath of Ishval, Mustang and Hughes have different ways of coping
Relationships: Gracia Hughes/Maes Hughes, Maes Hughes & Roy Mustang
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Coping Mechanisms

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a prompt request from lessonsfrommadamechristmas on Tumblr:
> 
> 17 - “When the world comes crashing down, who's ready to party?” and/or 44 - “I drink to forget, but I always remember.”. Gimme some Mustang and Hughes being bros, please? :D
> 
> Thank you Sorry this is so late.

**Coping Mechanisms**

Roy cradled the glass of whiskey. Even in the dim light of the bar, he could see his aunt’s beady eyes watching him from the counter. He knew she worried he was drinking too much, but she prefered he was here rather than in one of the more undesirable bars around the city. 

Left alone with only his thoughts and his guilt, Roy found that alcohol helped. Some days were terrible, but quiet nights were the worst. The bar was the only place, other than his apartment that he dared drink a little too much. Christmas and the girls would always make sure to move him out back if he got a bit too intoxicated. But he wouldn’t be able to do that here for much longer. He was being sent out East following his promotion. This bar was home - as strange as that sounded to most people. 

Roy grew up surrounded by lots of things he shouldn’t have concerned himself with as a boy. Half Xingese and the adoptive son of a madam gave him a particular undesirable reputation. He had a thirst to prove himself and to better himself for as long as he could remember. 

When he discovered alchemy, he felt like he had found his calling. He just knew he could use it to help people. Be thou for the people was the alchemist’s motto after all. As an alchemist, he thought he could protect his countrymen and women. So, he enlisted despite his aunt’s reservations and his master’s anger. They were right, and he was wrong. It took him only a matter of hours to realise just how wrong: Orders to kill unarmed civilians indiscriminately - children, older people, women. It wasn’t what he signed up for when he joined the academy. It was genocide, and he had foolishly signed his soul away. He thought he would come back as a hero, but he felt more like a monster.

Since his return from Ishval, he spent his month’s leave in Central catching up with his aunt and the girls. He was due to travel to East Command the following day where he would report into General Grumman. Hughes was meeting him for farewell drinks in the bar, but as usual, his best friend was running late. 

Hughes was over a half-hour late. He glanced around and saw Vanessa walking towards him.

An eyebrow lifted, she sat in the booth opposite him. ”Feeling lonely, Roy-boy?”

He smirked. ”Keep me company for a bit, will you?

”Always willing to lend an ear, Little Roy.”

He narrowed his eyes. ”Hey somebody, could hear you. People are supposed to think I’m seducing you.”

”The only people in here tonight are regulars who’ve been coming in here for years. And some of them remember an absolute little brat running around collecting glasses.”

He crossed his arms. ”You’re only six years older than me, Vanessa.” 

She chuckled. ”You are so easy to wind up. Even now.”

”Roy, buddy,” a familiar voice called.

Roy turned his head and spotted Hughes heading their way, a crooked smile on his face. 

Vanessa stood up. ”Such a shame that your date has come at last.”

His lips twitched. ”I pity the man that ends up with you for a wife.”

Hughes joined them at the table. ”Hey, Vanessa. Am I interrupting something?” 

She chuckled. ”Not at all. I-” She looked meaningfully at Roy, ”-have an actual date tonight.” 

He almost stuck out his tongue but gave her the finger instead. With a flick of her hair, she walked off, Hughes sat down next to him. 

Roy rolled his eyes. ”Hughes, you’re late.”

”Sorry, buddy.” Hughes sent him a sheepish smile. ” But I’ve got some huge news.”

Roy had a feeling he knew what the man was going to say. ”Go on.” 

”I finally asked Gracia to marry me, and she said yes.” 

Roy grinned and clapped him on the back. ”Hughes, that’s great. I’m happy for you both. She’s a good woman.”

”The best.”

”She’d have to be to put up with you.” He was happy for his friend, he was, but he was a little jealous. It would be nice to have someone to go home instead of an empty apartment. Someone to while away the lonely and nightmare-filled nights with. No, he had more important things to think about. The life of a family man was for someone like Hughes. He was made for darker and lonelier roads.

”You’ll come back for the wedding, won’t you?” 

”Of course, as if you could stop me. Just make sure you give me enough notice so I can make sure Grumman gives me the time off.”

”Good, buddy, because you’re my best man.”

”Really?” Roy’s smile was genuine. 

”Who else?”

”Well, let’s drink to your wedding.” Roy downed the rest of his whiskey and stood up. ”C’mon, let’s get wasted.”

Hughes snorted. ”I’m already well on my way, my friend.” 

The two men stumbled out of their booth in their eagerness and Roy waved at his aunt as he approached the bar. 

Christmas arched an eyebrow. ”Well, well, haven’t seen you a while, Hughes.” 

Throwing an arm around Hughes’ shoulder, he said, ”Hughes is getting hitched; we need your best malt whiskey.”

She lifted an eyebrow, ”Well, congratulations, Hughes.” She poured two generous jots of whiskey and put them on the counter in front of them. ”It’s on the house, boys.” 

”How about the whole bottle?” Roy said.

”Chancer.” She snorted and slid the bottle over to him. ”The rest of the bottle can go on your tab, Roy-boy.”

He shrugged. ”I had to try.”

*********************

An hour later, Roy knew he was going to have a hellish hangover in the morning. Right now, he didn’t care. They talked about their childhoods, reminisced about the academy, careful to avoid talking about Ishval. 

”I’m going to miss you, buddy,” Hughes said.

”Me too.” There were very few people Roy would count as real friends, and Hughes was one of them. He bumped his friend’s shoulder. ”You’ll have Gracia to keep you company, and she’s a damn sight prettier than me.”

”She told me once that she thinks you’re handsome,” he said, ”but that you should smile more.”

Roy shook his head and chuckled. ”You must be glad I won’t get a chance to slip in and steal her, huh?”

Hughes snorted. ”She said you’re too broody for her.” 

”I’m not broody.”

”Yes, you are,” Hughes poked him in the chest. 

”I appreciate your support.”

”Roy?” Hughes rubbed his chin. ”Remember when you asked me how I could hold her with my bloody hands?”

Roy swallowed, a wave of shame hitting him. ”Yeah, I remember. I’m sorry, that was cruel of me. You said you would hold it all together for her.”

”I do think about the war sometimes, and I try to set it aside.” Hughes looked down at the table. ”Not to burden her. She doesn’t ask me about it, but she knows it was hell was out there. She’s not a delicate flower; she’s stronger than I ever could have imagined.” Hughes picked up his glass and took a sip. ”She never told me in her letters, but she volunteered as a nurse at one of the camps. She saw the pain, the suffering and heard some stories.” He smiled slightly but still didn’t look at Roy. ”I’ve learned that she’s much stronger than that. She knows that we did awful things, and she still loves me despite the blood on my hands.” He looks up at Roy finally. ”Having her, being with her gets me through.” 

”I’m happy for you, Hughes. Truly.”

Hughes smiled. ”What about you? How do you get through it all?”

Roy sighed. ”I drink to forget, but I always remember.” He straightened up. ”I still stand by what I said back there. I have a goal, and I still intend to meet that. That is how I keep going.” 

”Doesn’t mean you can’t find yourself a sweetheart.”

”I don’t have time for romance. Besides, it’s too dangerous.” 

Hughes snorted. ”What about that sharpshooter?”

Roy’s stomach dropped. Riza. It was all his fault she ended up there. 

”She’s little more than a child with a killer’s eyes,” Roy balled his hands. ”I hope she resigns and has a chance at a good life. She was never meant to join the military.”

”Are you kidding, Roy? She was made for it.”

”None of us were ready for the hell out there. It made monsters of men.” He shook his head. ”Hughes, no more talk about the war. We’re celebrating your engagement and my promotion. Let’s finish this bottle.”


End file.
